What exactly is a net zero energy structure? Wikipedia tells us it's "a building with zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually." That means that it's both off the municipal power grid, and does not utilize fossil fuels for energy. As you can imagine, this is no easy feat and yet it has been done.
The Karuna House in Oregon has just received 3 prestigious green building awards, including LEED Platinum certification.
So as to obtain the three certifications, and become a net zero energy structure, Karuna House was designed and built to have an advanced building enclosure. It also features an optimized solar design that works to drive energy loads to very low levels. The energy needed for the household is supplied via a solar photovoltaic array of less than 10 kilowatts.
At MRB we are utilizing most of these technologies - from the various types of advanced performance weather membranes, to HVAC systems, to carefully planned insulation. However, we've yet to ingrate these technologies in an intentional way so as to create a net zero energy home.
We'd love to be the first company to do build a net zero energy home here in Nova Scotia.
To learn more about the Karuna House...